Gustavo Balart debuted in ONE Championship in 2019 and quickly found life difficult on the global stage. Three straight losses for the Cuban Olympian was a wake-up call that would see him return with a force.
After 2020, Balart stepped back onto the global stage with a renewed focus. With four straight wins, he has secured a shot at the ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Title at ONE Fight Night 24 against Jarred Brooks. It is all he has ever wanted.
“This is my dream. I have been working for this all my life,” Balart said to ONE.
“What I left behind is so much. I worked really hard to be here and the time is now. There is no tomorrow. I am really happy to have this opportunity to fight. That night I am going to give it my all.”
“All I know is that on August 2, ONE Championship will have a new king in the 125-pound division. His name is Gustavo Balart Marin.”
The interim title will position the victor to be next for Joshua Pacio. However, Balart is open to defending the interim title if the Filipino cannot return from injury right away.
The Cuban wants to compete against the best of the best, whoever it may be.
“Winning the interim belt will give me a chance to face whoever is next on the list, including the undisputed champion. My job is to try to be the new champion, and to do that, I need to defeat anyone in my path,” the Cuban remarked.
“Personally, I don’t care about names. I will go after whoever is the champion. It could be Pacio, could be another fighter, but he is the one with the belt, and that is why I must face him.”
Brooks dominated the strawweight division upon his arrival, in large part due to his wrestling.
That is an area Balart believes he can control with his decorated background. On August 2, he thinks the ultimate deciding factor will come down to who controls the ring with their grappling.
“I think that whoever wrestles the best that day will be victorious. He will have a hard time trying to take me down. He will be tested. I will match his level and intensity,” Balart stated.
“I am going to defend myself. I am not going to let him take me down. No way. I will counterattack. I don’t think he is going to get frustrated, but if he is trying and trying, he is going to make things easier for me.”
While Brooks has talked about going for the knockout, Balart does not believe the talk. He still expects the same “Monkey God” to arrive in Bangkok.
If that is the case, Balart promises to be ready to show the world he has finally arrived on top of the strawweight mountain.
“He is going to try to do what he does best. He likes taking fighters to the ground,” Balart said.
“When he tries to do that to me and realizes that he cannot do it, he will also find out my striking is better than his. It will be the end for him.”
ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart airs at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, August 2, on Prime Video for free to all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.